


Fresh Air

by drfitzmonster



Series: Leave it to Kara [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Picnics, Supertoddler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 09:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9484049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drfitzmonster/pseuds/drfitzmonster
Summary: Cat takes her wife, son, and three-year-old daughter to the countryside for a picnic. Things do not go according to plan.





	

Cat awoke early one Saturday morning with one thing on her mind: the air. 

“We need to get out of this godforsaken city where we’re walking around all day in swirling clouds of carcinogens.”

“What?” Kara grumbled from beside her in bed. She groaned and rolled over, pulling a pillow over her head.

“We need to get out of the city. We need some fresh air. Come on,” she pulled the pillow off Kara’s head, “get up. We’re going for a drive.”

“Honey, I’m so tired.”

Cat frowned. Kara hadn’t been herself lately. She’d been tired and cranky, which Cat had just attributed to the increase in alien-related incidents she’d been dealing with recently, but now she wasn’t sure it wasn’t something more. 

“I know you’re tired, but can you just get dressed? I’ll wake Carter up and have him get Allie ready, and I’ll call in a grocery order, get the Bentley packed up. All you have to do is sit on the couch until we’re ready to go, and then you can nap in the car. Okay?”

“Caaaaaaat,” Kara whined in protest.

Cat watched her for a moment. She looked pale. “I just want to get you out of here so you can breathe some cleaner air, spend some time in the sun. Please?”

“Okay…” Kara finally said, groaning and sitting up.  

Cat was already showered, dressed, and gone from the room to rouse Carter from sleep before Kara dragged herself from the bed. She did manage to brush her teeth, wash her face, run a brush through her hair and dress herself just in time to meet the two other sleepy members of her family in the kitchen. They were both dressed, and Carter held a yawning Allie in his arms.

“Hey sweethearts, are you hungry?” Kara asked before kissing them both on the forehead.

Carter and Allie both nodded.

“Go sit down and I’ll find us something.”

Carter took Allie into the dining room. Kara could hear them from the kitchen. She heard Carter gently asking Allie to hold still as he buckled her in her booster seat. She heard him sit down and pull his chair up close to her. She heard Allie’s laughter as Carter tickled her and imitated the voices of characters from her favorite tv show.

Kara couldn’t help but cry a bit. He was such a good big brother, better than she ever could have hoped for. From the moment Allie was born, Carter had been with her. He’d held her, read to her, sang to her and played with her. 

Carter adored Allie, and she was absolutely enamored with him, and had been from the very beginning. The two shared a bond that reminded Kara of the one she and Alex shared. The thought made her intensely happy. 

Kara brought three bowls of cereal with her into the dining room: a half-Kryptonian toddler sized bowl with yogurt and bananas, a human teenager sized bowl with extra marshmallows on top, and a Kryptonian sized bowl, which was just an entire box of cereal in the bowl from Cat’s stand mixer.

Cat breezed into the room just as they were all beginning to eat. “I see we’re all awake and dressed now,” she said cheerfully. “And Mama even fed you and— Kara that is for the Kitchen Aid, not for your cornflakes.”

“They’re Lucky Charms,” Kara tilted the lip of the bowl towards Cat to show her, “and come on, Cat,” she pouted, “it has a handle! It makes eating so much more efficient!” She smiled that smile of hers that put the sun to shame, and took a giant bite of cereal using her preferred serving spoon, which was  _ supposed _ to be tucked away with the good china, but somehow kept finding its way out into regular rotation.

Cat shook her head. “Hopeless.”

Kara just smiled at her, face full of cereal, a dribble of milk running down her chin. 

_ Such a mess _ , Cat thought.  _ My beautiful, beautiful mess _ .

These were the moments that stuck with Cat, so mundane and domestic, when she lay in bed alone at night, clutching Kara’s pillow and greedily breathing in her scent, hoping she’d make it home safe. This would be the scene she’d play in her head to soothe herself the next time her precious Kryptonian was gone from her. 

She’d imagine her family, haloed by the sun coming through the window, Carter, eyes bleary, hair still mussed from sleep, feeding Allie the marshmallows from his cereal, Allie squealing with delight, and Kara just watching them, a beatific smile on her face. Cat would remember, and it would sustain her.

Cat moved in behind her daughter, gently stroking her hair and bending to place a kiss on the top of her head.

Allie looked up at Cat. “Mom, where we go today?” she asked around a mouthful of banana.

“We’re going on a picnic, my dear. Are you excited?”

Allie lifted her little fists in the air, yelling “Yay! Picnic!” loud enough to ensure everyone was finally fully awake.

 

* * *

 

“Come on, Mom!” Carter leapt out of the car, backpack slung over his shoulder, beaming smile spread across his face.

“Sweetheart, take your sister and go find a place to set up. I need to talk to Kara for a minute.”

Carter grabbed the picnic basket, and held out his free hand to his little sister, who took it happily. They ran down the trail to find a spot to lay out the blanket.

“In the sun!” Cat called after them. “And feet on the  _ ground _ , Allie!”

Allie was such a good girl, and she usually kept her powers hidden very well, but she was still a three year old, and she tended to float when excited.

Cat turned to Kara, who was sitting in the passenger seat. “Darling, I’m worried about you. What if you have some sort of alien virus?”

“No, Cat, don’t worry. I’m not sick, just tired, I swear. I just need some rest.”

“And you’re sure you haven’t blown out your powers?”

“I haven’t,” she said, and to prove herself she held up her hand and zapped it with a bit of heat vision. “It’s just work, Cat. There’s been a lot of… stuff… going on.”

“They have been running you ragged lately.” Cat leaned over to cup the side of Kara’s face with her hand. “But,” Cat poked Kara in the chest with her finger, “if you’re not feeling better by the end of the day I’m taking you to see your sister.”

Kara groaned. She hated going to the DEO to be tested.

“No pouting. Now come on, let’s go see if laying in the sun helps a bit.”

Kara gave a weak smile. “I’m pretty hungry, too.”

“Well, I packed an extra basket just for you.” Cat gave Kara a gentle kiss. “Grab it out of the back, why don’t you?”

Kara sighed and exited the SUV so she could retrieve the picnic basket. She gasped when she opened the back hatch of the Bentley. “Rao, Cat, this isn’t a basket, it’s a gigantic cooler.”

“And it’s full of potstickers.”

Kara’s eyes lit up at that. “Really?”

There was some of that brightness Cat thought Kara’d been lacking lately. “Yes, of course. You seem undernourished.” Cat came to the back of the car and took Kara’s arm, pulling her toward the path leading to the spot Carter and Allie had staked out. “People are going to start thinking I don’t feed you enough.”

“You feed me plenty.”

“I just don’t want anyone thinking I’m not taking proper care of my wife.”

Kara stopped, setting the cooler on the ground. She took hold of Cat’s waist and drew her in close. “Cat,” she said softly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, “no one has ever taken better care of me than you. No one will ever love me better or as much as you.” She bent down and kissed Cat softly, lingering against her lips before she moved in to kiss her again.

And then they heard a chorus of “GROSS!” followed by peals of laughter coming from their children.

Kara looked up and stuck her tongue out. Picking up the cooler she called out, “Just for that,  I’m not sharing any of my potstickers with you!”

Cat elbowed her gently in the ribs. “They have their own.”

“Well then…” Kara said quietly, following it up with a much louder, “I’m going to eat all the cake!”

“Nooooooooooooooo!”

Cat and Kara both laughed as they sat down on the blanket, which Carter had smartly laid out half in the shade of a tree, half in the sun. Kara reclined, laying her head in Cat’s lap. They watched as Carter and Allie kicked a soccer ball back and forth.

“How long do you think until she—” 

Cat’s remark was interrupted by a loud hiss and two very disappointed groans.

Kara laughed.

“There’s another in the car,” Cat said to Carter, tossing her keys at him. Allie flew up into the air to catch them, and was met with a stern warning from Cat. “Feet on the GROUND!”

“Sorry, Mom,” she said, sheepishly, dropping back down to earth.

Carter took the keys from his sister and went to fetch the other soccer ball.

Cat sighed. “Maybe we can have someone at the DEO cover one in Kevlar?”

Kara looked up at Cat, reaching a hand up to stroke her cheek. “Maybe so.” she turned onto her side, head still in Cat’s lap. “Come here, baby,” She reached out to Allie, who ran into her waiting arms. “We only have one more ball, little one, so you need to use your gentle feet like we practiced, remember?”

Allie nodded, a serious look on her face. “Yes, Mama.”

“Okay, honey.” She leaned up and gave Allie a kiss on the cheek. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes!”

Kara sat up, reaching for the picnic basket, but she was hit with a sudden wave of vertigo. “Cat, um, I’m feeling kind of dizzy…” She laid her head back into Cat’s lap, hand over her eyes.

“Mama what’s wrong?” Allie cried, laying down on top of Kara, head over her abdomen.

“Mama’s not feeling very well, baby.” Cat patted Allie on the back.

Allie clutched at Kara, her hands fisting tightly into her shirt. After a moment she lifted her head. “Mama,” she said, frowning, “there’s someone in your belly.”

“What?” Cat lifted Allie up so she could look her in the eye. “What did you say about Mama?”

“Someone is in her belly,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I hear the heart.”

 

* * *

 

Cat stalked into Alex’s office, not bothering to knock. “How is this possible? You said she couldn’t get pregnant! You said the implant would prevent it.”

Alex startled, looking up from the folder of results from the battery of tests she’d just run on Kara. “Well, yes, the implant was supposed to prevent it.”

“Why the hell didn’t it?”

“Cat, I don’t know. According to Alura—”

“The hologram,” Cat corrected.

“Yes, sorry. According to the hologram, it’s what they used on Krypton to prevent natural conception.”

“Then why didn’t it work here?!”

“I don’t know, Cat!” Alex threw her folder down. “I don’t have all the answers. It’s not like I have a lot to go on, but I’m doing the best I can.”

Cat crumpled and began to cry, sinking down into a chair. “Alex…” 

“I know, Cat.” Alex came around the desk and sat next to Cat. She put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m worried, too.”

“It was just so hard last time, and the delivery…” Cat shuddered, turning and leaning into Alex. She clutched at Alex’s shoulders, needing to feel something solid. 

“Hey, hey,” Alex wrapped her arms tightly around Cat, “we’re going to figure this out, ok?”

“How, Alex? She almost died last time. And we decided, we decided we weren’t going to have any more, that it was too risky.” Cat stood and began to pace. “I can’t lose her, Alex. I can’t.”

“I can try and figure out if there’s a safe way to terminate—”

“You know she won’t,” Cat snapped, and then more softly she added, “and I could never ask her to do that. You know how big her heart is. You know she’s already fallen in love.”

Alex sighed. “I know, I know. You’re right.” She stood and approached Cat cautiously. “I won’t let her die, Cat. I promise you.”

“You can’t guarantee that.” Cat began to shake with heavy sobs.

Alex grabbed her, pulled her into a crushing hug, sobbing right along with her. “I know,” she whispered into Cat’s hair. “I’m just so scared.”

 

* * *

 

Kara lay in the med bay at the DEO still in shock. She was pregnant. Again. It was almost harder for her to fathom this time around. It had been almost five years, and the contraceptive implant Alex had made for them seemed to be working just fine. 

“Hey, Kar. Cat went ahead and took the kids home. They were getting cranky.”

Kara hadn’t even noticed Alex slip into the room.

“Is she mad?”

“Kara…”

“She doesn’t want her, does she?” Kara asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

“What? What do you mean?”

“The baby. Cat doesn’t want the baby. I can tell.” Kara turned onto her side, curling into herself.

Alex sat next to her on the bed, stroking her hair gently. “Kara, no. She’s just worried about you.” 

“I know we just found out today, but I love her.” Kara blinked back tears. “I can feel her. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it before.”

“Kara…”

“I’m just afraid that Cat’s going to leave, or-or that she’ll ask me to have an abortion…”

“Kara you know she would never leave you, and she would NEVER ask you to do something you don’t want to do, right?”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. She’s going to support whatever decision you make.”

“Then why isn’t she here?”

“Kara, the kids—”

Kara leveled a pointed look at her.

“She just needs a little space. She’s terrified. She needs to calm down. All she can think about right now is that she might lose you, and— trust me— she’s no good to you like that.” Alex cupped Kara’s face with her hand, stroking her thumb along Kara’s cheekbone. “Just give her some time.”

 

* * *

 

“You came back.”

“Of course I did, my love. Did you really think I wouldn’t?”

Kara looked down guiltily, “I don’t know…”

“I could never leave you. Not now, not ever.”

“You’re not mad?”

Cat reached out and brushed the back of her hand against Kara’s cheek. “Oh, my darling. How on Earth or any other planet could I ever be mad about this?”

“Last time…”

“Last time was scary and I thought I was going to lose you. But Alex learned so much. She’s got a plan.” Cat squeezed into the bed next to Kara, folding her into her arms. “It’s going to be better this time. Safer. She’s going to use a lower dose of Kryptonite. We’re not going to lose you, or our daughter.”

“ _ Our daughter _ . Oh, Cat. I just…”

“I know, darling.” Cat kissed her softly, lingering for a moment just to breath her in. She pulled back and looked Kara in the eye. “I love her too.”

Cat took Kara’s hand and brought it down to her abdomen where she let their fingers intertwine. “Everything is going to be ok.” Cat kissed her forehead. “We’re going to be ok.”

 

* * *

 

“Come on, honey!” Kara called back toward the car impatiently. She was practically jumping out of her skin, which, of course, looked absolutely radiant in the mid-morning light.

“I’ll be right there.” Cat took a moment to just stare out the windshield at Kara. She was standing in the exact spot they’d been in when they’d kissed on the day they found out Kara was pregnant. 

Kara wore a baby carrier, and tucked neatly inside was their infant daughter, Elizabeth Alura Danvers-Grant.  _ Nellie _ . She was fast asleep, head lolled against Kara’s chest. Kara noticed Cat staring and gave her a twirl, causing the skirt of her yellow sundress to billow around her.

Cat shook her head, eyes misting. It was still hard to believe it was real, that she was really here, in this beautiful place, with her wife and her daughter. She took a deep breath, wiping an errant tear from beneath her eye, and went to join Kara.

“Were you crying?” Kara hooked her arm into Cat’s and they began to stroll slowly along the path.

“No… yes, just a little.”

“Aw, you’re such a softie.”

“You hush, I am not,” Cat said, trying and failing to sound offended by the remark. She took Kara’s hand in her own, intertwining their fingers. “Do you think the kids are being nice to Maggie and Alex?”

Kara laughed softly. “I’m sure they are, but I can text just to be sure, if you want.”

“Oh, no, it’s not a big deal. I just know they were both a little miffed that we came out here without them.”

“They’ll be fine. I promised them we could go flying tonight.” Noticing a jealous look creep briefly across Cat’s face, Kara leaned over to plant a kiss on her cheek. “Don’t pout. I’ll take you flying tomorrow.” Kara pressed her mouth against the shell of Cat’s ear to whisper, “But tonight I have something  _ extra _ special planned for you, Mrs. Danvers.”

“Oh do you now, Mrs. Grant?”

Kara nodded, grinning roguishly but blushing just a little. 

Sometimes when Kara looked at her like that, Cat felt like the weight of her love would crush her. A pang of longing shot through her, landing deep in her abdomen, and she was struck with a sudden sense of panic. 

She tightened her grip on Kara’s arm and leaned heavily into her, breathing slowly to try and calm herself, letting the warmth of Kara’s solid form reassure her. Kara was fine. Their baby was fine. They were together, and safe, and  _ happy _ . She expelled a breath, releasing what felt like months worth of tension.

Cat looked down at Nellie, still slumbering peacefully. “You know, I think she’s just going to sleep the whole time.”

“That’s ok.” Kara stroked her daughter’s head gently. “I just wanted to get her out of the city so she could breathe some fresh air.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! I love writing about these dorks. :)


End file.
